Baltic Amber FAQ

Europeans used Baltic amber, also known an succinite, for centuries as a natural/traditional remedy. This yellow-brown resin is still used today in alternative medicine and jewelry. Baltic amber is desirable due to its high levels of succinic acid, which alternative practitioners consider to be a healing substance. Baltic amber is the most common form of amber, accounting for about 80 percent of the world's amber.

The Facts

Baltic amber is not a stone, mineral or, as commonly thought, pine sap---it's actually fossilized tree resin. Amber is a tree's vascular tissue exuded in a sap-like substance. Baltic amber is a type of amber that comes from the Baltic region of Europe. About 40 million years ago, a group of conifers located in the present area of the Baltic Sea oozed sap that hardened into clear clumps. These clumps shifted through time and now deposits can be found around Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea.

Function

Baltic amber beads are strung into necklaces and bracelets, and mounted in metal for earrings, rings and other jewelry. When worn against the skin, the body's heat wicks tiny amounts of oils from the amber. These oils contain succinic acid that absorbs into the skin. This absorbed acid is said to help with a variety of ailments.

Uses

Pain relief is one of the main reasons people use Baltic amber. Though the resin itself isn't a painkiller, its succinic acid is believed to have analgesic properties that take the edge off of pain. Baltic amber has been used to alleviate all types of pain, from mild to severe. People have used Baltic amber to ease carpal tunnel syndrome, lessen back pain, alleviate menstrual cramps, ease arthritis, soothe migraine headaches, and help alleviate a baby's teething pains. Baltic amber may even restore energy, strengthen the immune system and promote general wellness. The salt of succinic acid may play an active role in cellular respiration and intercellular creation of energy. These theories of Baltic amber have not been thoroughly scientifically validated.

Considerations

Baltic amber is not meant to be ingested or tasted. Of course, most adults don't need to be told to take necklaces out of their mouths, but babies are another story. When using a necklace or bracelet for a baby, make sure it's sized properly to avoid injury and that your baby doesn't suck or chew on the amber. The quality of Baltic amber varies from among sellers. Be aware that there isn't a way to determine the concentration of succinic acid among different jewelry.

Theories/Speculation

Fresh tree resin is sticky and can collect insects and plants. The hardened amber preserves these insects and plants for thousands of years, leading some archaeologists to question whether Baltic amber also preserves these specimens' ancient DNA (aDNA). The "Jurassic Park" movie series popularized this theory, but current scientific research proves this theory to be incorrect, suggesting that the process used to remove the aDNA would actually destroy it.

References

• Journal of Baltic Studies: Studies in Baltic Amber